Mechanical can-opener



J. ANDERSON AND F. 'BEBGENDUHI'.

.MECHANICAL CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1919.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

" I l/i/vslvrom- 0124M, I" A 1. ANDERSON AND F. BER GENDORF.

MECHANICAL CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I5, 1919. LEQQ 'ZQT Patented; Dec; 30,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

j 1 PATENT orricn- I v i I I I l I 7 J AN T FERDINAND BERGENDOBF, F ,PHIIJADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

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county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, .have invented a chanical Can-Opener,

which provision is'made for opening cans of difierent sizes by means adapting the throw. of the blade employed to be adjusted'to varying elevations and descent relative to the height ofcans to be opened, provision being also made for the employment of blades of different sizes, and the connection 1 v of the same to the device without changing the mechanism of the latter. It consists also of detailsof as will be hereinafter described.

The invention is satisfactorily illustratedconstruction,

7 in the accompanying drawing, but the imtails shown and described, as long as portant instrumentalities thereof may be a varied, and so it is to be understood that the invention it not limited to the specific dethey arewithin the spirit or'scope of'the claims.

Figure 1 represents a perspective viewof rtion. on line 4-4 Fig, 1.

I a can opener-embodying our invention.

' Fig.5 Q'represents a partial side elevation,

a partial vertical portion on line 3-3 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal secti'o'no'f a Fig. ,5 represents a top or planview of blade employed.

Fig. 6 represents a perspective View of a blade employed of a difl'erent SIZGYIOI'H that s 7 shown in Fig. 1,Ion a reduced scale.-

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring tothe drawings. 1 designates the-base of the device, the same having a substantially that top and being adapted to have cans .to .be cut sup- I ported thereon, a'ndthavin eral portion of-its upper" ace spacedapart said on the periphnpwardly projecting lugs 12 which are formed, therewith and arev adapted as stops to position the can uniformly ilLPOSltlOIl on base. Rising from what maybe termed the of said secured the standard '4, base'l being adjacent to des gnates a sleeve which new,and useful Meof which the following is a specification. Our invention consists of a can opener 'in' section of a' detached ase is the boss in which is firmly Specification of Letters Patent. Q Patented Dec, 30, 1919, Application filed April 15, 1919. Seiial'No. 290,241; 1 i

the lugs 2 on the said standard. 5

on 'said standard 4 and has formed with or otherwise secured to it the horizontally extending arm 6 whose outer-end has attached to it, thevertically extending blade 7 which ,consists of a segmental piece of metal havmg on its side terminals a curved cutting edge- 8, which extends downwardly from near the top of said terminals to the bottom forming centrally on the latter the point 9 which 1s adapted to penetrate the top of a can primarily to the complete opening of the can by said cutting edge, the opposite terminals of the blade widening upwardly from said point.

The top of the blade has riveted or otherwise secured to it the segmental ring 10 "which forms the head of the blade and reinforces and strengthens the latter, and has therem the openings 10 to; receive screws 10*" whichare passed also through openings 10 in the arm 6, thus connecting the blade with the. latter, the blade thus depending fromsaid arm as its carrier.

.11 desi ates an ear which is secured to the top 0 the arm 6 and has pivotally connected with it the lower ends of the links 12 whose upper, ends are pivotally connected with the operating lever 13 of the device intermediate of the ends of thelatter, said lever having its pivotal end mounted on the .sleeve 14- which is slidably fitted on the istandard 4, and being L havingin its wall the set screw 15 whose point is adapted to enter either of the spaced apart recesses 16, in the side of'th'e standard above the sleeve 5, it

and-so retains said sleeve 14 in its adjusted position. I

It will be seen that said sleeve 14 occupies position, in Fig. 1, consequently its highest when .the lever 13 is raised the link is adapted to-elevate the blade above the top of the can occupying the. base 1 which can is illustrated of large size. Then the lever is lowered wherebythe link forces down the is slidably fitted arm 6, the sleeve 5 and with them the blade to the top of the can and causes. its point 9 and edges to cut through said top and enter the body of the can, thus penetrating and cutting said top thewidth of the blade, thus '.'sever1ng a portion of said top from its surrounding portion. Then the lever is raised .when the blade emerges from the body of the can and rises through the incision in the top and above the same. The severed portion of the top may then be bent up and so the can is properly opened so that when it is removed from the base the contents may be poured out, it being noticed that the operation of. severing the top has been accomplished in a powerful, rapid and convenient 1113111191.

For opening cans ,of smaller size, the screw 15' of the sleeve let may" be loosened and the sleeve lowered to an adjusted extent when the screw may be tightened and its point enter the lower recess 16 in the standard, thus firmly retaining the sleeve in its newly set position, whereby when the lever is operated the link imparts a shorter throw to the blade, both in its elevation and descent, and so the blade when lowered is adapted to penetrate and cut the top of the small can, the same as in the case of the larger one, it being noticed that the base is adapted to support cans of different sizes and have the stops 2 adjust the cans true and uniformly on the base in line with thebottom point of the blade whereby the cutting of the top of the small can may be accomplished by the operation of the lever, the same as in the top of a large can. A can may be placed on the fiat top of the base and moved slidingly against the lugs 2 and so positioned for opening whether the can is of a narrow or wide diameter, the top of any can wide or narrow then being directly beneath the descending point of the blade.

On the side of the upper portion of the blade are the outwardly pro]ecting lugs17 which when the blade is lowered serve to contact solidly with the unsevered portion of the top of the can around the severed portion thereof, thus acting as stops to limit the descent of the blade 7.

In Fig. 6, we show a blade of smaller size than that shown in Fig. 1, but on a reduced scale, the same having'in the ring-like head of said blade openings for the screws that connect the arm or carrier 6 therewith, said openings being adapted to match or register with those in the head of the larger blade, and so when the large blade is removed a small blade may be applied to the arm and secured by sa d screws 10 employed.

The sleeve 14 is formed with upwardly extending ears 18, between which the pivotal end of the blade is adapted to ride in its motions, thus guarding said end from side play or thrust and wabbling motions thereof, it being noticed that the pivotal pin 19 of the lever is passed through 'one of said ears and the pivotal end'of the lever and secured in position by suitable means. Then as the sleeve 5 rides on the standard a as its guide the blade moves true in its descent and causes a uniform and comparatively smooth cut in the top of the can.

The sleeves avoid slotting of the standard,

and so the strength bf the latter is preserved,

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is J i 1. In a can opener, a can supporting base, a standard rising therefrom, a plurality of slidable members on said standard, one above the other, means on the upper slidable member for retaining it in a vertically adjustable position on said standard, a blade,

lever and a set screw on said upper movable member adapted to engage said standard for retaining said member in vertically adjusted position relatively to the required throw of said lever.

3. A can opener, a blade, a sleeve-like carrier therefor, a standard on which said carrier -is slidable, a can supporting base from.

which said standard rises, a link-like member pivotally connected with said carrier, a pivotal lever with which said link-like mem-' ber is also pivotally connected, and an additional sleeve like member on said standard above said carrier adapted to be adjustably held on said standard and having the pivotal end of said lever mounted thereon. x

4:. In a can opener, a can supporting base, a standard rising therefrom, a lever, a plurality of sleeve like slidable members on said standard one above the other, and a pivotal link-like connection for the lower sleeve-like member with said lever, the upper sleeve-like member having said lever mounted thereon as its bearing.

5. In a can opener, a can supporting base, a standard rising therefrom, a blade, a plurality of sleeve-like slidable members on said standard one above the other, an arm on the lower sleeve-like member forming a carrier blade, a lever, the

for said blade, a lever having its mounting JOHN ANDERSON. FERDINAND BERGENDORF.

Witnesses:

- J OHNI A. WIEDERSHEIM,

N. BUSSINGER. 

